Diablo Blue

The Newsletter of the Diablo Valley PC Users Group

•        DVPC Website    |
• About DVPC    |
• Map and Directions    |
• Calendar    |
• SIG News

September 3, 2009 MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT

Copying Vinyl to CD
Presenter: Mel Lundgren, DVPC

If you're like many people, you have a collection of records. Vinyl. How can you convert them to CD? Mel Lundgren will demonstrate the Ion turntable, a device you can connect to your stereo system and use as a vinyl record player. And, it has a USB port that will let you connect it to your computer and, with the supplied software, save your recording to CD. The provided software will also let you clean up noisy pops and clicks and other unwanted artifacts. This is a way to not only covert your vinyl records to CD, but to protect them as well.

This month's meeting will be fun, interesting, and informative. We'll see you on Thursday, September 3, 2009 at Diablo Valley College.

NOTE: Diablo Valley College has parking permit dispensers that take dollar bills as well as nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins, and will at some time in the future take credit cards. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change.

Where and When We Meet

DVPC monthly meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at Diablo Valley College In Pleasant Hill, California, on the Main Campus located at 321 Golf Club Road. We meet in room H107 (note: this is a new meeting room) in the Humanities Building. See the campus map on the About DVPC page for driving directions, parking information, and how to get to room H109. Remember: there's a $2.00 parking fee, payable at the ticket machines in each lot. These ticket machines take dollar bills and quarters, but do not give change so be sure to bring correct bills and/or quarters to buy your parking ticket. Place the ticket face up on the driver's side of your dashboard.

We have a Networking Table from 6:30 to 7:00; if you have something to sell or trade, need technical help, or just want to exchange views, visit the Networking Table. The regular monthly meeting starts at 7:00 p.m. with Random Access where you can ask questions or report on technical problems, followed by a presentation by our guest speaker. Also, as usual, we'll have SIG news and some of our usual great door prizes.

Driving Directions:
680 Northbound:
Exit at Willow Pass Road
At the end of the exit ramp turn left onto Willow Pass Road
Continue on Willow Pass Road to the second signal and
turn right onto Contra Costa Blvd.

680 Southbound:
Exit at Concord Ave.
At the end of the exit ramp turn left on Contra Costa Blvd.

Direction into the Campus:
Continue on Contra Costa Blvd. to the signal at Golf Club Road and turn into Golf Club Road. At the second entrance into the campus turn left then immediately right to parking lot 7. Turn left into lot 7. Park (but don't use parking spaces that are reserved for faculty and staff only), then purchase a parking permit (see Parking Fees below) and put it on your dashboard. Click on this link (www.dvpc.org/about.html) to see:
> a detailed DVC map showing parking and our meeting room
> a map for driving to DVC
> an aerial view of the DVC campus

Parking fees:
On the Pleasant Hill campus parking permits are $2.00 per day. You can purchase permits at the parking permit machines marked with a red star on the maps on the DVPC website. Parking permit machines take nickels, dimes, quarters, and dollar coins. Note that these parking permit dispensers do not make change. DVC parking permits are required Monday through Friday at all times that classes are in session. That includes the times that DVPC meetings are held! Do not park in metered or faculty/staff spaces.

You need to purchase a parking permit and place it face up on your dashboard so it is clearly visible through the windshield. If you attend classes at DVC and have a campus parking permit, you can use it when you attend DVPC meetings.

Some members park (for free) in the College Park High School lot across Viking Drive from the DVC campus. Do so at your own risk!

Parking violations:
Be sure to purchase a parking permit! Fines range from $35 for parking in a regular space without a permit, to over $275 for illegally parking in a space reserved for the handicapped.

Parking alternatives:
Some members carpool and share the parking fee; they park at Sun Valley Mall, have dinner at one of the many restaurants in the mall, then take one car to the meeting. Some members park in the lots in front of College Park High School, which is across Viking Drive from DVC. Remember: if you decide to use any of these parking alternatives, you do so at your own risk!

Diablo Blue Password Access
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

You will need the monthly password to access the current issue of the newsletter. If you are a paid-up member of DVPC you'll receive an email message, usually on the Weekend prior to the meeting, with the password.

As each month's issue is uploaded, it's placed in a password protected folder on dvpc.org. When you click on the link to go to the newsletter, a dialog box will be displayed asking for the password from the email message. The password is case-sensitive; either copy it from the email message or make sure you type it correctly.

As we add the current month's newsletter, the password on the prior month's newsletter will be removed so anyone coming to the DVPC website can access older issues of Diablo Blue.

If you have any problems accessing a password protected newsletter, please email webbie@dvpc.org.

Watch for Updates!
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

With our new method of producing and publishing the monthly Diablo Blue newsletter, we can easily add updates to each month's issue. If an article is updated,the word Updated will be added in red

When we add a new article "mid-month" the entire entry will be shown in red in the Table of Contents.

Links to Interesting Online Articles
by Ron Ogg, DVPC

Here are links to some interesting articles I've found online. Check them out!

ComputerWorld — Tweak offers free trial of any Windows 7 edition
A Microsoft Windows 7 installation disk can be tweaked to install any version of the operating system, giving users a "try-before-buy" opportunity before upgrading to a more expensive edition...
Read more

AARP Bulletin today — Is the Do Not Call Registry a ‘Joke’?
With 185 million phone numbers on the government list, why are telemarketers still calling...
Read more

InfoWorld Adventures in IT — Can I make copies of my DVDs?
One reader wants to know how to replace his damaged DVD movies and music CDs...
Read more

ZDNet — Ed Bott: XP, Vista, or Windows 7: Which OS is more secure?
It’s far too early to make definitive judgments about the relative security of Windows 7, but Microsoft’s shiny new OS had a banner first month...
Read more

InfoWorld — Critical Randall C. Kennedy risks derailing Windows 7 launch
A supposed product bug has old fears surfacing. Is it a bug, a feature, or tabloid journalism...
Read more

ComputerWorld — Forget teens, gamers are 35, overweight and sad
When you think of a hard-core gamer, do you picture a teenage boy battling his friends in World of Warcraft? Think again, CDC says...
Read more

Cyber Crime Fighters: Tales from the Trenches
Book Review by Steven M. Breitbart, Director, North Orange County (CA) Computer Club

I have never wanted one of my book reviews to be on Page 1 before now. The Internet has become an entity where all of the old evils are amplified and expanded, and new evils have been created. As the book says “Once again, computer technology and the Internet is a double-edged sword, providing tools both for those involved in illegal drug activity as well as for those seeking justice.” You can just as easily plug in identity theft, child pornography or any other crime that can be committed using the Internet.

This book explores many, if not most of the crimes committed using the Internet. The authors, Felicia Donovan and Kristyn Bernier have “over 25 years of combined law enforcement experience.” They discuss cyber stalking, identity theft, online dating, child pornography, social networks, illegal drugs and peer-to-peer network crimes. The crimes range from bullying, stalking or stealing the victims’ identity all the way to murder.

The book is written for the ordinary person who is not an IT professional. They describe an honest, if pessimistic view of the Internet. It appears that someone illegally exchanging songs using a peer-to-peer network is more likely to be sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for music piracy than people who acquire child pornography are to be arrested by law enforcement.

One thing I have learned from this book is that if you have a business with any sort of network and access to the Internet, you must either have an IT person or be the IT person yourself. You must have policies clearly defining acceptable uses of business computers and make sure every employee understand the risks involved of visiting risky web sites. You must have procedures, hardware and software in place to make sure nothing sensitive gets out or nothing dangerous, such as spyware and viruses, get in.

Another thing is that you should initiate all actions and not respond to web sites or emails offering any type of get-rich quick scheme or warning. If you get an email asking you to send money, promising that you’ll get back more, it’s probably one of many types of scams. If the scam isn’t asking to you to send money, it’s asking for enough information so they can steal it directly out of your bank accounts - having acquired your name, user identification and password. The authors describe how pedophiles have posed as children and get information from real children, who give out all sorts of information on Facebook, MySpace or other social networking web sites.

Sometimes they get the children to do things in front of their webcams. Once recorded, these videos are circulated among the community of pedophiles. If the pedophiles can get the children to meet them in person, they are often molested or worse.

A great thing about the book is that they include a lot of information on how to protect yourself, your family and your business, but it is scattered all over the book. What we all need is a pamphlet summarizing all the recommended procedures and different web sites we can go to for help.

The whole thing reminds me of an episode of the television show Criminal Minds. The victim asks FBI Agent Hotchner “How many of these people are out there?” He replies, “More than you want to know.” While the characters were not talking about Cyber Crime, the result is the same. As long as I mentioned a television show, I would like to thank the authors for Appendix B, which describes the incredible differences between television’s version of law enforcement and the real thing. It seems to me that animated cartoons resemble reality more.

There are seventeen chapters in the book, plus two appendices. Sixteen of the chapters are chock full of case after case of criminal activities committed using the Internet. While it seems repetitive and tedious, one must remember that this is a small sample of what law enforcement and other agencies find. The book usually describes what happened to the victims and whether the criminals were caught. As one would expect, it doesn’t usually cover the techniques that law enforcement uses too much. Law enforcement is apparently at such a disadvantage in terms of funding, personnel and legal requirements that they cannot afford to give away any information.

Law enforcement is fighting an uphill battle. A lot of the “evil” is coming in from other countries, the criminals are able to remain anonymous on the Internet, and law enforcement is constantly crippled by a lack of budget or personnel for specialized squads. Add to this the fact that the laws applying to cyber crime vary from state to state, technical challenges and other factors; you get a very pessimistic picture. The Internet is an almost lawless place and it is up to the user to be vigilant.

There are a few small issues I have with the book. The title did not excite me; the word “trenches” is used to mean everything from real world experiences to military operations to undercover investigations; how about “online front line” instead. They repeat various agency names and their acronyms over and over. Either use the full name once along with the acronym, then use just the acronym for, say, the rest of the chapter. The photographs they used for the Internet address line that says “https” and the padlock icon weren’t clear enough to see. Also, in the chapter where they describe botnets, they begin with a clear description. Two pages later, they say they will define botnets “later” - but they already have.

The last chapter is “How We Would Combat Cyber Crime.” They have many good ideas and I hope the new Cybersecurity Czar will at least listen to the advice of these authors.

I highly recommend this book for anyone who uses the Internet.

It will certainly be too simple for people already involved in computer security. However, the rest of us need to understand what can happen if we are unaware of the pitfalls of using the Internet.

Cyber Crime Fighters: Tales from the Trenches, by Felecia Donovan and Kristyn Bernier; ©2009 Pearson Education, Inc. (part of Addison-Wesley Professional) Boston, MA. ISBN-13: 978-0-7897-3922-3; ISBN-10: 0-7897-3922-4

List price is $21.99, but is available for $17.15 at Amazon.com. If your group is a member of the Pearson User Group program, members will receive a 35% discount. Purchase of the book includes a free 45-day online edition through Safari Bookshelf.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (sbreitbart (at) socal.rr.com).

dotCrime Manifesto
Book Review by John Lundgren, North Orange County (CA) Computer Club

This is a book review of the above hard cover book, which has a subtitle (in upper case) of HOW TO STOP INTERNET CRIME. The ISBN-13 is 978-0-321-50358-9; the publisher is Addison-Wesley. The book has four sections: 1. 'People not bits', 2. 'Stopping the cycle', 3. 'Tools of the trade', and 4. 'The accountable web'.

The book is a bit more than 400 pages. MSRP=$24. A 35% discount is available when ordered from the publisher if your user group is a member of the Pearson User Group Program) (http://www.informit.com/store/product.aspx?isbn=0321544714)

The author, Phillip Hallam-Baker, lectures and knows how to keep his audience's attention, at least in print, since I can't speak for his in-person lectures. Although the book's subject seems rather dry, this author kept me entertained with anecdotes such as the Mr. Coffee machine example on P. 62, and good Web historical content. It's not filled with geek speak, it's an excellent Layman's guide, and I think it's a good read. I should point out that although the author is British, I thought it odd that I didn't find the text to have typically British grammar; perhaps that's because his employer is a U.S. company. To help the reader refresh, each chapter is ended with a page of Key Points for revue. Some examples have a reference number and in the back of the book there is a list of reference notes for each chapter.

This book discusses the Internet crime problem with historical examples and in the future what must be changed to reduce this problem. The book describes the crimes on the web, and points out that they are essentially the same crimes that have been going on for eternity, just that they have now been adapted to the web. It’s the same old fraud, confidence games, tricksters, liars, cheats and thieves. Hallam then points out that the reason these crimes prosper on the Net is lack of accountability, and how this makes it difficult or impossible for law enforcement to trace down the suspect. He explains his well thought-out solutions to these problems.

One example he uses is the automobile, and how early on people found that license plates and driver’s licenses, and traffic laws that made people accountable have helped to make the highways a much safer place.

Hallam then shows how to make the net accountable through the widespread use of public key encryption to make certain that transmissions are really from where they say they're from. Again I should point out that as the author stated in the preface he has deliberately avoided the use of Geek Speak, or jargon. This helps the layman to truly understand the simple, underlying principles and methods he lays out.

The author is a senior at Verisign, and thus has to speak for his company at times when he puts forth solutions, since his company is involved in this. But the book is not a sales brochure for his company's products. Throughout the book, he stresses the user’s experience, and how security and accountability must not negatively impact the user.

I quote one of my favorites: "The user is ... bombarded with information he simply doesn't need, such as warning dialogs of the type that lawyers write to dump responsibility for security onto the user." I can speak from my own experience how important this is. I have seen situations where, in the name of security, the password complexity and mandatory change intervals are so onerous that most users have their passwords written on a Post-it on their monitor. This completely defeats the security! Anyone can walk up and sign on as another person.

In one example that Hallam used, you want to know that your child is visiting a chat room that is for children, and that other chatters are not pedophiles posing as children. Some form of authentication must be required so that the chat room users must prove that they are children, yet must not require the child to reveal his or her true identity. Then I had to think about his example of Alice, and her visit to the local bar. He points out that the bartender only needs to know that Alice is of legal drinking age, but Alice does not need to prove that she is Alice - that's none of the bartender's business. And the bartender does not need to know how many times Alice has been there before.

Thus, when Alice shows her driver’s license, it is really revealing too much information. These are interesting thoughts, now that he has compared the online world to a situation in the real world I hope you find this book as enjoyable as I did. I just hope that his accountability solutions are soon implemented; they were desperately needed long ago.

A Few Closing words: I must mention spam, for that is one subject the author discusses. Right now our email statistics show that more than 90 percent of all emails are spam, which means we are continually deluged with a tsunami of junk emails. Of the remaining 10%, some of those emails are spam that managed to sneak through, so the actual percentage is even higher than 90 percent. Statistics from some authoritative sources say it’s 92 percent. That small percentage that sneaks through is still enough to make it worthwhile for the spammers. If no one bought any of their fraudulently advertised products, the spammers would have to do something else to make money. Two wise advisories are: 1. Never buy anything advertised in junk email. 2. Never click on a link that is in a junk email. This is especially true for phishing emails, those that say your bank or Paypal requires you to verify your account. If you have reason to believe that the email might be true, go to your web browser and type in the URL for the bank or www.paypal.com, and log in using this method. If you click on a link in a junk email, it will steal your account and password. My hope is that all the spammers get thrown in jail. I was elated to read recently that a prolific spammer was locked up for 3-1/2 years. The problem is there are many more out there. Will the Net survive? Only time will tell.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (editor (at) noccc.org).

New Free Security Utilities – Do You Speak Klingon?
by Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director; Columnist; Radio Show Host

WEBSITES:
http://www.sophos.com/beta/threatdetection/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klingon
http://www.sophos.com/products/free-tools/sophos-threat-detection-test.html
http://www.bitdefender.com/site/Products/showSolutions/6/

Do you speak Klingon, the language of the intergalactic warriors of Star Trek fame? If so, the newly released (beta) product of Sophos’ new on-demand malware scanner may be just for you. If you are among the Earthlings who have some command of the English language, then the English version of Sophos Klingon Anti-Virus may be more practical than the Klingon language version. Those of us so ethnocentric that we choose to speak English may be at a slight disadvantage, as Wikipedia states, “According to Guinness World Records, Klingon is the most popular fictional language by number of speakers.”

Klingon Anti-Virus (beta) is one of the latest anti-malware products released by the UK’s Sophos, a successful security company with over 100 million registered users. Klingon Anti-Virus is not a stand alone security product that provides continuous protection, but instead is an on-demand scanner that detects and removes viruses, spyware, adware, zero-day threats, and other varieties of malware. According to Sophos, “The software can be run without deactivating your current anti-virus software.” This software is expressly intended to detect any malware that may have slipped through the protection provided by any installed security software on the computer. It should not interfere with any other security software already installed on the computer, and is not memory resident (loaded) except when explicitly loaded by the user

Klingon Anti-Virus will run on any 32 or 64 bit version of Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, or Vista, and has minimal hardware requirements. While Klingon AV will not interfere with existing antivirus installations, it should not be installed on any system currently protected by the full version of Sophos Anti-Virus. As a beta (pre-release) version, the current download offers full functionality and updates for 30 days. Installation of Klingon AV requires the entry of a specific username and password, both of which are included in the “release notes”, which is adjacent to the download link (Username for the UK version: TERRAN01, Password: BTANKITM).

Klingon AV is really an incarnation Sophos Threat Detection Test, which is the product name displayed when the UK version of Klingon AV is installed. If the Threat Detection Kit is downloaded directly (not the Klingon AV), the user must register online (free) prior to the download. The Threat Detection Test uses the same scan engine as the commercial Sophos Anti-Virus product, and has been tested and certified as effective by the major antivirus testing organizations, including the ICSA Labs, West Coast Labs, and Virus Bulletin. Sophos’ Klingon Anti-Virus and Threat Detection Test are effective and useful tools to periodically check to verify the integrity of the installed security software, and to determine if any malware has penetrated the existing mode of protection. The Threat Detection Test directly checks performance of Symantec, McAfee, TrendMicro, CA, Kaspersky and F-Secure security products, without interfering with them.

If the user can read Klingon, then that version may be the better one to download, but if English is more appropriate, then download the English language version of Klingon Anti-Virus. Confirming that the installed antivirus software is functioning properly can provide some peace of mind.

Three other free security utilities have been made available by BitDefender, a European purveyor of excellent quality cyber protection products. One utility that I use regularly is the browser (Internet Explorer) based BitDefender Online Scanner, which runs a very fast but thorough scan of the computer for malware. BitDefender Online Scanner runs on demand from the browser, separate from the installed antivirus software, and scans for viruses and spyware that may have penetrated the existing security software. The online scan does not interfere or interact with the existing security products. The Online Scanner will scan the system memory, files and hard drive boot sectors, and then automatically clean any malware that is found. I have used this product several times on several computers, and found it to be the fastest scan that I have ever used, and was capable of detecting what the installed security software missed. My only issue with the product is that it only runs only on Internet Explorer, and not on Firefox or other browsers. BitDefender Online Scanner is a very worthwhile product to have available on all PCs as a check and verification that the system is clean of malware.

Many of us routinely chat online. While most of our online chats are of a personal and casual nature, there is sometimes a need to discuss sensitive or proprietary information in a chat session. Because we never know if some unauthorized person is listening in on our chats, it may be necessary to encrypt our online chats, such that interception of the content is nearly impossible. BitDefender has released its free BitDefender Chat Encryption utility that allows users to communicate securely if Yahoo! Messenger 8 (or later) or Windows Live Messenger 8.5 (or later) is utilized. With these instant messaging clients, BitDefender Chat Encryption offers effective privacy by integrating a simple but automatic encryption and decryption process. In order to function, both parties must have BitDefender Chat Encryption installed. This software runs on XP with SP2 installed (32 bit), and 32 bit versions of Vista. If secure online chats and instant messages (IM) are desired, then this product may be for you.

One of the common methods of identity theft is phishing, where the user is tricked into entering personal and financial information on a spoofed website. While the latest versions of Internet Explorer (IE) and Firefox offer some protection against phishing and spoofed websites, another layer of protection may be desirable. BitDefender Anti-Phishing Free Edition is a toolbar that works well on both IE and Firefox. According to BitDefender, “BitDefender Anti-Phishing Free Edition provides browser-based protection from phishing attempts by blocking the malicious web pages used to steal credit card data and other personal identification information.” This toolbar incorporates real-time filtering of web pages, and detects attempted fraud. If a suspicious site is detected, the user is notified of the potential threat, and given the choice to continue to the questionable website or to block it. The toolbar will also detect links that may be sent through Yahoo! Messenger or Windows Live (MSN) Messenger. If the user does not already have a layered anti-phishing defense, this toolbar from BitDefender will provide substantial protection from phishing websites.

Whether in Klingon, or from BitDefender, it may be a good idea to have another verification of cyber defenses using the appropriate products mentioned above. You can never be too safe.

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (Iwilsker (at) apcug.net).

Electronic Waste — Where to Dispose of It
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

Here's a list of ewaste donation sites in Central Contra County County. We've included sites where you can recycle single-use and rechargeable batteries, and to dispose of unneeded pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications. Be sure to check the websites to determine what they will accept. If you know or learn of others, please let me know with the location, hours, and website URL.

Computers and Electronics

Hauling Pros Recycling Center
www.dumpmytv.com
73A South Buchanan Circle
(on the left behind S&S Roofing)
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-682-8987
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Rapid Recycle
www.rapidrecycle.net
110 Second Ave., South B-1
Pacheco, CA 94553
925-671-8008
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Recycle for Breast Cancer
www.recycleforbreastcancer.org/dropoffanytime.htm
31 Beta Court, Suite C
San Ramon, CA 94583
800-315-9580
7 days a week excluding holidays 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
A completed donation form is requested at the time of donation; this form can be downloaded from their website

e-Recycle OnUs
www.erecycleonus.com
1271 Boulevard Way
(at back left corner past East Bay Art and CTA)
Walnut Creek, CA 94595
925-934-1515
Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Electronic Waste Management
www.noewaste.com
E-Waste recycling events at Diablo Valley College
321 Golf Club Road
(in DVC overflow parking lot across from north side of main campus)
Pleasant Hill, CA
866-335-3373
First Saturday of every month (except holidays)
9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Where to recycle Batteries

Single-Use Household Batteries
Longs Drugs
www.longs.com
Alamo, Blackhawk, Danville, Lafayette,
Moraga, Orinda, Walnut Creek, San Ramon
Right Aid Drugstores
www.rightaid.com
Orinda, Walnut Creek
Radio Shack
www.radioshack.com
Danville, Walnut Creek
Check websites for store hours

Rechargeable Batteries
Right Aid Drugstores
www.rightaid.com
Check website for store hours

Where to Dispose of Unneeded Pharmaceutical and Over-the-Counter Medications
Walnut Creek City Hall
www.walnut-creek.org
1666 North Main Street, Walnut Creek
Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Look for the green Pharmaceutical Disposal bin
Please don't flush your drugs!

How and Where to Recycle or Dispose of Other Household Waste Items
Central Contra Costa Sanitary District
The CCCSD has a two-page Disposal Guide for Central Contra Costa County brochure that can be viewed online or printed. This handy guide tells how to dispose of common household waste in safe, simple, and environmentally healthy ways. Click on the link below to access the brochure.
www.centralsan.org/documents/Brochure_Disposal_Guide.pdf

This brochure requires Adobe Acrobat Reader; you can download and install the latest version of Acrobat Reader by clicking the icon below.

Photoshop Elements SIG Meeting Program
by Peggy Johnson, DVPC

The Adobe Photoshop Elements SIG meeting will be held on Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 7 p.m. at the home of Peggy Johnson in Concord, CA.

We cover and discuss the Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements software programs, along with other photo and video manipulation programs. As usual, check out the Elements SIG pages at www.bkbrown.net for all the latest news, information and tutorials.

The Photoshop Elements SIG meets on the third or fourth Thursday of each month; be sure to check Peggy's email notice for the topic and meeting date!

Please email Peggy for further information and/or directions.

Windows SIG Meeting Program
by Walt Parsons, DVPC

There will be no Windows SIG meeting in September because the first Monday, September 7, 2009, is Labor Day. Our next meeting will be on Monday, October 5. Check the October issue of Diablo Blue for information about the meeting topic.

The Windows SIG meetings are usually held in the Community Room at the Concord Police Station at 6:30 p.m. on the first Monday of each month. See the detailed directions on the DVPC SIG News page.

The Daily Dilbert Cartoon
by Scott Adams